We work with visionary organisations and their leaders to create and embed transformational change.

Change that delivers real business benefits for the UKs Cultural Organisations.

Over 17 years we’ve supported some of the best cultural organisations in the UK, helping their leadership and teams to evolve and develop, to build strength, resilience and relevance in today’s challenging contexts.

We are more committed to our clients’ objectives than we are to our own and we believe in tailoring our services to meet their needs. We don’t use off the shelf solutions, because we don’t have off the shelf clients.

Our new two year programme for cultural leaders funded by Arts Council England is now live!Find out more about the programme.

We can offer the complete change management consultancy...

from helping you develop your new business strategy to building the plan to deliver it. From developing ideas as leaders to getting everyone involved in delivering the change. From identifying new opportunities to supporting you as you engage your other stakeholders and build momentum. We can even develop the training courses that might be needed to create the new skills and behaviours that the strategy requires.

01

Organisational Development

Helping organisations change and develop is what we do. Everyday. We offer a wide range of solutions from complete, holistic Organisational Development consultancy to discreet projects or a combination of services that focus on specific teams, divisions or geographies. We’ll work with you to design and fine tune a package of support that meets your unique needs.

02

Change Management

Change Management is at the heart of our work. Our approaches, processes and tools have been developed over decades by some of the best change management experts working across international business today and we bring them to an arts and culture context because agility, relevance and resilience have never been more important.

03

Leadership development

We work with senior teams, chief executives and trustees to help you realize your organizational mission, engage and empower your teams, and maximize your impacts. Whether it’s coaching, facilitation or formal development programmes, we support you to deliver.

04

Employee engagement

Great leadership thinking has no value if it isn’t understood, believed and acted on by the whole organization and we are experts in employee engagement. Change is done by people not to people, so everyone gets to lead when you work with us.

05

Strategic development

Our combination of commercial acumen and cultural experience makes us well placed to help you develop powerful transformative strategies and models to reshape your business. Our work on Resilience across the UK is helping cultural organisations build stronger more diverse futures.

06

Partnership management and collaboration

We believe that collaboration and partnership working are amongst the essential characteristics of successful organisations. Working with new partnerships at the local, regional and national level, we bring a spirit of commitment, break down barriers, work through concerns and forge powerful alliances that transform delivery.

07

Coaching

Leadership coaching is a powerful tool in creating real organisational change and supporting your most important individuals to really have the greatest impact and create even better results with the people around them. Creating a coaching culture in your team can extend the transformation from the personal to the organisational.

08

Training

With 25 years of training and development experience, we offer an extensive range of training courses and services that can help create organisational change and we develop tailored courses for leadership teams, managers and front line staff. We deliver training that works, and have the feedback and measured impact to prove it.

09

Facilitation

Our facilitation is designed to create ideas and energy, to build relationships and generate commitment and action. We offer a range of facilitation services and can facilitate sessions from 6 – 6,000 people. We facilitate small groups, teams, boards, networks, conferences and consultation events. We make communication flow and people feel heard.

OUR CLIENTS

ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS

people make it work works with some of the most celebrated organisations in the Cultural sector including Barbican Guildhall, Arts Council Wales, Creative Schools, Manchester Royal Exchange, Arts Council England, Ballet Cymru, BBC National Orchestra Wales, Playful, UK Theatre, A New Direction, Situations, English National Ballet, FRIEZE and Clore Leadership Programme. Our work with them ranges from fundamental organisational change programmes to smaller scale leadership development.

PUBLIC AND HIGHER EDUCATION SECTORS

people make it work supports organizations across the Public and Higher Education sectors including: UK Parliament, 28 of London’s Local Authorities, London School of Economics, Knowledge Quarter, Conservatoire of Dance and Drama, LAMDA, Kingston University Business School, RADA, Royal College of Music, Leeds University Business School, Royal Academy of Music, Queen Mary, University of London, and Ravensbourne Digital Design College. Our work with them ranges from public consultation facilitation through employee engagement to leadership development and change management.

CHARITIES AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR

people make it work has a track record of working with some of the UK’s largest and most far reaching charities. Our clients have included Teach First, Comic Relief, Pilotlight, Myeloma UK, CAIRN Trust, Niemmen Pick, Oxfam and The Everyone Foundation. Our work with them ranges from team development work and leadership coaching to change management programmes and larger scale strategy development interventions.

Large-scale, place-based strategic programmes

Clients say

Testimonials

"We've been truly impressed and delighted by the ability of the company to genuinely change thinking and encourage organisations and individuals to challenge conventional wisdom. People make it work is getting our most valued arts companies to change their thinking. We, as Arts Council officers are learning from them too and refreshing our ways of doing things. Looking forward to the next 12 months!"

Kath Davies

/ Arts Council Wales

"people make it work has a distinctive way of working that is thought provoking and I find they are able to challenge assumptions and enable new thinking in a supportive and collaborative way. They bring a good balance of business and people skills - strategic, holistic and insightful with a genuine warmth and good understanding of people. Working with people make it work has led us to shift thinking, develop new insights and brought more clarity and confidence as we plan our next steps"

Jane Grieveson

/ UK Parliament

"Working with People make it work is a genuine partnership – with in-depth knowledge and experience of the sectors, Richard was able to offer a wide impartial view and know exactly when to challenge my thinking. He creates an encouraging environment, guiding me to clarity and helping me achieve confidence and gravitas in what I was saying."

Alison Tedbury

/ Royal Opera House

Designed, developed and delivered by people make it work for Arts Council England. Our new two year programme for cultural leaders funded by Arts Council England is now live! Find out more about the programme.